The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Punjab government regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleges the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state has failed to implement the constitutional guarantee of free and compulsory education for children from economically weaker and marginalized sections of society.
Background of the PIL
The PIL, filed by Jagmohan Singh Raju, highlights that although the Right to Education (RTE) and Right to Information (RTI) were key platforms on which AAP gained national political prominence, the state has largely failed to enforce the RTE Act's mandate of reserving 25% of seats for children from weaker and disadvantaged sections in schools.
Allegations of Non-Compliance
According to the petitioner, the non-compliance with the RTE Act by Punjab is neither recent nor incidental but has persisted since the Act's enactment in 2009. Over the years, the Union government has reportedly issued multiple appeals to secure compliance, and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has also made recommendations to address the issue.
The petitioner further argued that this ongoing violation undermines the constitutional guarantee of education for all children, particularly those from marginalized communities. The Supreme Court has now issued notices to both the central and state governments, seeking their responses on the matter.
Stay updated with the latest India news and live updates.
